The Selfie Setup I Use When I'm Home Alone
Most of my self-portraits don’t start with someone behind the camera.
It’s usually just me, my camera, whatever corner of the house has the prettiest light, and a lot of running back and forth. 😂
If you’ve ever wanted to take photos of yourself but thought:
Okay… but who’s actually going to take them?
this is for you.
You don’t need a photographer. You don’t need a studio. And you definitely don’t need an elaborate setup.
Here’s mine.
1. Find the light first
Before I think about my pose, outfit or even where I’m putting the camera, I look for light.
During the day, that usually means finding a window. Indoors, that means studio light!
Stand facing it.
Turn sideways.
Move closer.
Move farther away.
Watch what happens to your face.
You don’t need to know anything complicated about lighting yet.
Just look for the spot where you like what the light is doing.
YOUR SPARK!
WALK AROUND YOUR HOME AND FIND 3 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT POCKETS OF LIGHT.
2. Choose a ridiculously simple background
A blank wall works.
Your bed works.
A curtain works.
The floor works.
The corner you’ve walked past approximately 4,000 times can work.
I try not to dismiss a location because it looks ordinary in real life. The camera only sees what’s inside the frame.
Sometimes moving two feet completely changes the photograph.
YOUR SPARK! FIND ONE BORING CORNER
AND SEE IF YOU CAN MAKE IT INTERESTING
3. Prop up your camera
Tripod? Perfect.
No tripod? We’re improvising.
A shelf, table or sturdy stack of books can get your phone or camera where you need it.
The most important thing is that it’s secure. Please don’t balance your expensive camera on something questionable for the photo. 😭
Then decide what kind of image you want.
Camera around eye level gives you a natural perspective. Lower can make an image more dramatic. Higher can make it playful and casual.
Experiment.
4. Give yourself space to move
This changed self-portraits for me.
Don’t frame yourself so tightly that there’s only one exact spot where the photo works.
Step the camera back.
Give yourself room to walk, sit, turn around, play with your hair or completely change your pose.
The more space I give myself, the less I think:
POSE.
And the more I start actually moving.
5. Use a timer or remote
For your phone, the built-in timer is enough to start.
Set it, run into position and shoot.
Yes, there will probably be a lot of running. 😂
If your camera or phone supports a remote or companion app, even better. Being able to trigger the camera from where you’re standing makes experimenting much easier.
Don’t aim for one perfect photograph.
Take a lot.
6. Put on music 🎵
Technically unnecessary.
Creatively essential.
I almost always find it easier to move when I’m not standing in complete silence listening to the timer count down.
Put on something that matches the energy you want in the photos.
Soft. Confident. Dramatic. Playful.
Then move with it.
You’re creating a tiny world for yourself, even if you’re literally standing beside your laundry basket.
7. Start doing something
This is my favourite trick when suddenly I have no idea what to do with myself.
I stop posing.
Fix your hair.
Put on lipstick.
Make coffee.
Read.
Play an instrument.
Look through photographs.
Dance badly.
Give yourself something real to interact with and let the camera observe.
The goal isn’t to perfectly recreate what someone else would photograph.
It’s to discover what you notice about yourself.
My actual checklist
Before I start, I really only need:
Light.
Camera.
Something stable to put it on.
Timer or remote.
Music.
Space to experiment.
That’s it.
Everything else is optional.
You can add lights, reflectors, backgrounds, lenses and all the fun photography things later.
PS. But please don’t let equipment become the reason you haven’t started.
Your turn
Pick one room.
Find one pocket of light.
Set your camera down.
Put on one song you love.
And give yourself until the song ends to take photos.
❌No waiting until your room is prettier.
❌ No waiting until somebody is available to photograph you.
❌ No waiting until you know exactly what you’re doing.
You’re already home.
The camera is already there.
Go make something. ✨